Abstract
The influence of Zn(2+), Ca(2+) and Co(2+) doping on the thermal, structural, morphological, and magnetic characteristics of CdBi(0.1)Fe(1.9)O(4) nanoparticles synthetized via the sol-gel technique and calcined at 300, 600, 900 and 1200 °C was investigated. Thermal analysis revealed the initial formation of metallic glyoxylates up to 300 °C, followed by their decomposition into metal oxides and subsequent ferrite formation. X-ray diffraction revealed that the ferrites were poorly crystallized at lower temperatures, whereas at higher calcination temperatures all nanocomposites exhibited well-crystalized ferrites coexisting with the SiO(2) matrix, except for the Co(0.1)Cd(0.9)Bi(0.1)Fe(1.9)O(4)@SiO(2) nanocomposite, which formed a single, well-defined crystalline phase. Atomic force microscopy images revealed spherical ferrite particles encapsulated within an amorphous layer, with particle size, surface area, and coating thickness influenced by both the type of dopant ion and the calcination temperature. The structural parameters estimated by X-ray diffraction, as well as the magnetic characteristics, were strongly influenced by the dopant type and thermal treatment. These results demonstrate that the structural and magnetic characteristics of CdBi(0).(1)Fe(1).(9)O(4) ferrites can be effectively tuned through controlled doping and calcination, providing insights for the design of tailored functional applications.